Torstar Corp. is permanently closing the physical office spaces for the Ontario-based Waterloo Region Record and St. Catharines Standard newspapers and all staff of those news outlets will work remotely on a permanent basis.
The decision is a way to “reduce office space leasing costs,” says a spokesperson. The announcement by the publisher of the Toronto Star, and several other news publications, follows on the heels of several other employers across North America and around the world that have announced they’re shifting to either fully remote or hybrid work models even after the coronavirus pandemic ends.
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Torstar’s announcement comes amid a similar shift in the U.S. and U.K. among news outlets. The New York Daily News no longer has a physical newsroom and the publisher of Britain’s Daily Mirror is moving many employees to work from home near office hubs. After a full year of remote work, Torstar views the model as a success, says a spokesperson.
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